Thermostatic heater.



J. L. QUINN.

THERMOSTATIC HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3, 1914.

1,157,255. Patented 001. 19, 1915.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. QUINN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD OIL COM-IANY OF CALIFORNIA, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OFCALIFORNIA.

THERMOSTATIC HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

Application filed February 3, 1914. Serial No. 816,278.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, JOHNL. QUINN, a citizen of the United States,resldlng at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Thermostatic Heater, of whichthe following is a specification.

The main object of the present inventlon is to provide a heater whichw1ll beautomatically turned on and off on var1at1on of temperature, soas to become llghted when the temperature falls below a certain degree,and to be againturned off when the temperature arises.

The invention is partlcularly applicable in connection with orchardheaters, as it provides for igniting orchard heaters automatically whenthe temperature 1n the orchard falls to the point requlrmg the operationof the heaters to prevent injury to the orchard.

Another object of the invention is to provide a thermostatic heatercomprising an auxiliary wick for a pilot flame, and so arranged as toprevent burning of the mam wick on undue enlargement of the main frameby the pilot flame in proximity thereto.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention, andreferring thereto: Figure 1 is a vertical section of the heater. Fig. 2is a horizontal section on line w -m in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section online ar -m in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line a:*a: in Fig. 1.

The heater comprises a casing or vessel 1 for containing the oil or fuelto be burned, "and provided with a burner 2, a suitable support 3 onwhich said oil receptacle rests, and a thermostatic device 4 connectedto the wick 5 to raise and lower it according to changes of temperature.The wick 5 is slidably mounted on the vertical tube 6 extending withinthe oil receptacle 1, and open at its upper and lower ends for passageof air therethrough. Awick carrier consisting of a ring or sleeve 7 isslidably mounted in the tube 6 and engages the wick by projections 8,said carrier being connected with a rod 9 which extends downwardlywithin the tube 6 and is connected at its lower end to the thermostat 4.The thermostat 4 is of any usual ,or suitable construction consisting,for example, of a strip or member 10 composed of two metals securedtogether so as to bend with changes of temperature therein, one end ofsaid strip being fastened as shown at 12 to the bottom of the casing oroil receptacle 1, and the other end of the strip being forked as shownat 10 to engage in a neck 13 in a collar or nut 14 screwing on the lowerend portion of rod 9. Stop means are preferably provided for thethermostatic device 4 to limit its upward and downward movement, saidstop means con-- sisting, for example, of nuts 15 and 16 on a screw 17extending downward from the bottom of the casing or oil receptacle 1.The burner 2 may also be provided with the usual fixed deflector 18 andwith a movable deflector 19 resting on top of the wick in the usualmanner. A circular flange 20 extends upwardly from the bottom of the cupshaped fixed deflector 18 around the main wick 5 and is slitted ornotched at one side as shown at 22, to permit the vapor from the mainwick to be ignited by the pilot flame produced by a wick 25 extendingthrough a tube 26 into the body of the liquid fuel in the oil receptacle1, and extending at its upper end into the cup shaped deflector 18adjacent to the said slit or notch 22. A sleeve or tube 27 is preferablyprovided around the lower portion of the main wick 5 to facilitate itsoperation, said tube or sleeve being perforated as shown at 27.

The heater above described, when used for orchard heating purposes, ispreferably inclosed in an outer casing 28 extending upwardly from thebase or support 3 and provided with a stack or chimney 29 at itsupperend, said stack or chimney having a movable door 30 for access tothe pilot wick. The support or base 3 rests on legs 32 which raise itfrom the ground sufficiently to permit the thermostatic device 10 toclear the ground. A wind shield 34 rests on the support 3 and extends uparound the casing 28. Said casing 28 is provided with perforations 28for passage of air to the interior of the casing.

The operation is as follows: Normally the main wick 5 stands at or belowthe level of the top of the Wick tube 6, so that the deflector 19 andwick tube inclose said wick. When the heater has been set up in theorchard or other place to be heated, the pilot wick 25 is lighted, butit does not light the main wicko'n account of the inclosure of thelatter by the Wick tube 6 and deflector 19. When the temperature in thevicinity of the heater becomeslowered to a certain point, the thermostat10 operates to raise the main wick 5 and expose the upper portionthereof to the air and the main wick is then ignited by the pilot flamewhich ignites the vapor coming from the main wick through the slit 22,the flame then traveling up the body of the main wick where it .isexposed above the wick tube 6. The main wick then continues to burn aslong as the temperature remains below the danger point and the elevationof the wick and the intensity of the flame increase as the temperaturelowers. If the temperature rises to or above the danger point, either byreason of the operation of the heater or from other causes, thethermostat I 10 operates automatically to lower the main wick 5 so as toput out the main flame.

What I claim is:

1. A thermostatic heater, comprising afuel receptacle, a main wick insaid receptacle, and adapted to be PI'OJBCtGd above the same, a centralair tube within the wick pilot flame.

operated means for moving the wick upwardly to cause it to be initially.lighted by the pilot flame.

3. In a heater the combination of a wick support and a verticallyadjustable Wick mountedupon the support, of a pilot flame, means toshield the wick from the pilot flame and thermostatically operated meansfor-moving the shielding means in unshielding position and the wick inposition to be lighted initially by the pilot, said means also operatingto move the shielding means into shielding position at a predeterminedtime. I Y.

4. In a heater the combination with a movable wick, of a pilot flame,means to automatically move the wick into position whereby it will belighted initially bv the pilot flame when the atmospherictemperaturedrops below a predetermined point, and means operated bv saidlast mentioned means when the atmospheric temperature passes above apredetermined point to extinguish the flame of the wickand shield thewick from the flame.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California this 29th day of January,.1914.

JOHN L. QUINN.

